Plate lifter



Sept. 3, 1929. GRlFFlTH 1,726,619

PLATE LIFTER Filed May 19, 1925 gwuewtoz FPA NK H. GlP/FF/TH.

Patented Sept. 3, 1929.

UNITED STATES FRANK H. GRIFFITH, F WEHRUM, PENNSYLVANIA.

PLATE LIFTER.

Application filed May 19, 1925. Serial No. 31,295.

The present invention consists of a plate lifter which is especially adapted for use in lifting hot plates, pans, etc.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a lifter which includes a movable and a stationary jaw the latter being engaged with a supporting shank in an especial manner to permit effective use of the same as a support or a guideindependently of its use as a lifter when coacting with the movable jaw.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of very simple construction the parts of which are so assembled that the cost of manufacture will be reduced to a minimum. I

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the present preferred forms of the invention taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a plan view of the lifter constructed in accordance with this invention showing the jaws thereof in open position;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1; 7

Fig. 3 is a detail fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1 showing one form of connecting a terminal of 30 the fixed jaw to the supporting shank; and

Fig. 4 is a detail fragmentary side elevational view of a modified form of support- 7 ing shank illustrating the manner of connecting one end of the fixed jaw thereto.

3 I am, of course, aware that numerous lifters of various types but it is the object of the present invention only to provide a very simple device which embodies yielding jaws which will effectively grip the article to be lifted and to so secure one of the jaws that movement or displacement thereof in normal use is rendered impossible.

The device of the present invention consist of a handle 5 which may be of any desired configuration and has a supporting standard or shank 6 issuing therefrom which, in the present instance, is shown to be of circular configuration in cross section.

A pair of jaws designated 7 and 8 are mounted on the shank 6 the jaw 7 being movable and the jaw 8 stationary. Each jaw consists of a strand of wire, preferably, resilient or yielding wire, the inter- 5 mediate portion of which is formed to provide a frame of any desired shape, but preferably, of the shape shown in Fig. 1. The

patents have been granted on plate and pan The terminals of the wire strand consti tuting the jaw '7 are convoluted around the shankG, as indicated at 10 and are freely movable on said shank. The convolutions 10 of the movable jaw are held from displacement from the shank by convolutions 11 of the fixed jaw which are welded, soldered, or otherwise secured to the shank as indicated at 12. Or, if desired, the shank 6 may be provided with a pair of annular flanges, such as that indicated at 13 and shown in Fig. 4 against which the convolutions 11 of the fixed jaw impinge, the terminal of the convolutions in each instance 1 being bent at right angles to provide a tooth 14 mounted in a corresponding recess formed in the flange 13. In this way, the movable jaw is permitted to rotate on the shank 6 but is held from longitudinal movement thereon. The fixed jaw, however, is positively held from any movement but its inherent resiliency will permit it to yield under a load. The stationary jaw, besides coacting with the movable jaw for lifting plates, pans, etc., can also be used as a support for carrying smaller articles which may be deposited on a table or the like without upsetting the contents of the particular article since, in viewof the peculiar configuration of the support, the article carried thereby can gravitate from the support directly onto the table. Moreover, the fixed jaw may be used for changing the position of pans in an oven or the like without use of the movable jaw and without danger of the operator being burned.

It is, of course, to be understood that the FRANK H. GRIFFITH. 

